Modern agriculture relies upon the delivery of a variety compounds such as pesticides via hydraulic sprayer devices. The effectiveness of the sprayed products is influenced by a variety of factors including the timing of the application as well as the climatic conditions that exist during application of the sprayed compound. Pre-emergent pesticide products must be applied prior to the germination of the weeds, and therefore the timing of the spray application is critical. Application of the sprayed compound during rainy conditions may result in excessive runoff of the compound. Application of the sprayed compound during windy conditions may result in excessive drift in which the sprayed product is blown away from its intended target. These reductions in the effectiveness of the sprayed products are associated with increased costs to the farmer, as well as the introduction of the sprayed products into unwanted locations such as other crop fields or water sources.
Without specialized equipment, farmers are forced to time-spraying applications to coincide with relatively windless and dry climatic conditions. However, due to the variability of climatic conditions, in particular during typical planting seasons, the application of sprayed products may be delayed until the sprayed product may no longer be used effectively (i.e., weeds germinate before applying pre-emergent pesticide), or windy or rainy conditions may arise during application of the sprayed products, with the associated difficulties described above.
Existing specialized spray containment equipment for agricultural spray devices have incorporated spray hoods extending across an entire row of sprayers or an array of smaller spray hoods integrated into a single structure, but such large structures are relatively onerous to transport, operate, and maintain. Typically, these large spray containment structures are too large to be used in combined planting/spraying operations. As a result, the use of these large spray containment structures typically require spraying to be performed as a separate operation from planting, thereby impacting the timing of the application of the sprayed product. In addition, the existing spray containment equipment is typically large and awkward to transport to the fields and operate, thereby prolonging the time needed for a spray application and potentially sacrificing effectiveness in the face of uneven terrain. One existing spray containment structure includes an array of individual spray hoods, but the individual spray hoods are fixedly attached to a support boom, effectively integrating the array into a single enlarged structure with the attendant problems as discussed above.
A need exists for an agricultural spray containment system capable of operating in uneven terrain. A need further exists for an agricultural spray containment system capable of operating coincidentally with other agricultural processes such as field preparation and/or planting. Such a system would enable enhanced flexibility for the application of sprayed agricultural products and reduce the amount of time and fuel expended performing spray applications, as well as reduce waste due to drift as part of an agricultural operation.